zulu.349.miriam
Kungani simthanda uMiriam Makeba
UMIRIAM MAKEBA udinga imali. Akayifuneli yena - uyifunela labo abadinga ukudla, imfundo nomsebenzi. “Ngenza konke engingakwenza, kodwa futhi ngifisa sengathi ngingenza okungaphezu kwengikwenzayo ukusiza abesimame abasebancane bakwazi ukufeza amaphupho abo.”
UMiriam okumanje uneminyaka engu-74 uyihlahlile indlela yabaculi besimame bakwelase-Africa kusukela aba yisihlabani somculo eSophiatown esemusha ngeminyaka yo-1950.
Namanje akukho okuyomvimba. “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi kunjani ukubulawa yindlala. Kwakunezinsuku ezinzima ngesikhathi ngisaqala umsebenzi wami. NgiyaMbonga uNkulunkulu ngokwedlula kulokho ngifinyelele la ngikhona manje,” kusho yena.
KwiCD yakhe yakamumva ethi Forever, uMama Afrika uphinde waqopha kabusha izingoma zakhe ezihlabahlosile kulo lonke elase-Africa nokuyinto abaningi abasebasha okubonakala sengathi bazohamba ezinyathelweni zakhe.
Ngo-2004, ngesikhathi uThandiswa ethula i-albhamu yakhe ethi Zabalaza, watshela uBONA ukuthi iphupho lakhe elikhulu “wukuhamba ezinyathelweni zabaculi abafana noMiriam Makeba,” okhuthaza abaningi futhi osebenzisa ikhono lakhe lomculo ekusizeni umphakathi.
LO mculi wabuyela eSouth Africa ngo-1990 emva kokuchitha iminyaka engu-30 ekudingisweni. Namuhla akukho azisola ngakho.
“Ngesikhathi ngiqala emculweni, yayingekho imisakazo namaTV ukuze kusizakale abaculi basemalokishini nabasemadolobheni. Amathuba ayemancane,” kusho yena.
“Ngangihlala eRiverside, ePretoria ngicula ezindaweni ezifana ne-Sophiatown nako-Alexandra.
“Ngangicula ezindaweni ezifana naseBantu Men’s Social Club ku-Eloff Street ngenza cishe uR10 amahora amane esteji.”
Eseyintombi encane enhle eneminyaka engu-19, wayenethalente elimangalisayo elisezingeni lomhlaba futhi ezimisele ukuzibonakalisa emhlabeni jikelele. Lokhu kwabonakala efilimini elithi Come Back Africa, elenza izimanga kwi-Venice Film Festival ngo-1959 nokuyiyonanto eyenza uMakeba isihlabani kwelaseNew York.
Waxhaswa nguHarry Belafonte, waba yisimenywa kwiTV wacula endaweni yomculo we-jazz eyaziwa ngokuthi yi-Village Vanguard.
“Ngenxa kaBelafonte, ngakwazi ukwazi abadlali bezithombe zaseHollywood abafana noSidney Poitier noMarlon Brando, nabaculi abafana no-Ella Fitzgerald noDiahann Carroll,” kusho kukhumbula uMakeba.
“Ngangingesiye umculi we-jazz, kodwa ngangingomunye wabaculi abavuthayo eNew York. Ngangehluke kakhulu kunabanye abaculi besimame ababecula lapho.
“Ngase ngibukeka ngendlela entsha eyehlukile. Izinwele zami kungezendalo - ngishaya ngobuhle base-Africa eMelika ngingowokuqala umculi wesimame wakwelase-Africa odumile.
“Ukuba wusaziwayo yinto eyayingabalulekile kimina. Namanje ngisazigqaja ngokuba ngumAfrica: Ngiyazi ngangimele izifiso zabantu bakithi nokuyikho okwakubaluleke ngaphezu komsebenzi wami.”
UMiriam wawina umklomelo we-Grammy ngo-1965 kwathi ngo-1967 wakhipha ingoma yakhe eyashisa izikhotha ethi Pata Pata.
E MVA kwamashumi amathathu eminyaka, iPata Pata yaphinde yadlalwa yiBongo Maffin. Kwi-interview yango-1997, uMiriam watusa kakhulu uThandiswa ngokubambelela emasikweni akhe adlulise umyalezo wakhe kubantu ngosizo lomculo.
Njengamanje uMakeba utshele uBONA ukuthi akazange athole ngisho isenti ngengoma yakhe eyashisa izikhotha ethi Pata Pata ngesikhathi sokuduma kwayo yaba nasemashadini omculo emhlabeni jikelele.
“Ubani owaziyo ukuthi leyo mali yashonaphi?” kusho kubuza yena ngaphandle kokudinwa.
Ukulandela izimali ezitholakala ngokuthengiswa komculo wakhe, akusiyo into eyayihamba phambili ngeminyaka yo-1960, ngaleso sikhathi wayeshade nesishoshovu samalungelo abantu eMelika uStokely Carmichael nokwathi lapho edingiselwa eWest Africa, naye uMakeba wahamba naye bayohlala eGuinea.
Namuhla, iPata Pata isibuye ngezinkani njengoba izingxoxo nabashicileli bayo sezisombululeka, ngokusho kwakhe, ekutheni kutholakale lezo zimali.
Abanye abazohlomula kuzo yiCentre For Girls yakhe uMakeba nokuyilapho kunakekelwa izingane ezingu-18 ezazisezitaladini, zifundiswe nomculo. Zithunyelwa amaphoyisa nosonhlalakahle emzini oseMidrand ukuze ziyothola ithuba lokuqala kabusha empilweni emva kokuhlukunyezwa ngokocansi nezidakamizwa.
Kubiza R60 000 ngenyanga ukugcina leli khaya ngokusho kwalo mculi obhekele lolu hlelo lomsebenzi kanye nongumqondisi u-Elaine Masekela-Britton abezwana naye kakhulu ngesikhathi uMiriam esashade noHugh Masekela.
Ukuze zihlale zikhona izimali kudingeka ukuba uMiriam ahlale esemgwaqweni - edlala ezindaweni ekhulumisana futhi nabatshali zimali.
“Angisiye usozigidi, kodwa kudingeka ukuba ngenze engingaphumelela ukukwenza. Ngeke ngivele ngithathe umhlalaphansi bese ngiyahamba. Sengimdala manje. Umdlandla wami omncane sengiwongele ukudlala kwezinye izindawo ezimbalwa njalo ngonyaka - ngemali eyisipesheli,” kusho yena ehleka.[z]
BONA ZULU – March 2007
NGENHLA: Ayikho imali ayenza ngengoma yakhe eyashisa izikhotha ethi Pata Pata.
KWESOKUDLA: UMama Afrika usazama ukwenza umehluko ngokukhuthaza amakhono kubantu abasha.
Ngifuna ukwenza okungaphezulu!
Nakuba eneminyaka eko-70, kodwa namanje usazithatha izihlwele - kumanje usebenza kanzima ukuqiniseka ukuthi abanye baba namathuba yena ancisheka wona
indaba nguDOUG GORDON
BONA ZULU – March 2007
l Phenya ikhasi uzibeke ethubeni lokuthola isethi yamaCD kaMiriam Makeba.
